Freight car lock and seal



Aug. 2, 1932. E w, MCFARLAND 1,869,387

FREIGHT cAr'a LOCK AND SEAL Filed March 10, 1930 2 Sheeis-Sheet l q/Lm W in? ATTORNEY Aug. 2, 1932. F. w. McFARLAND I 1,869,387

FREIGHT CAR LOCK AND SEAL Filed March 10, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN TOR.

QMWWSW BY w Patented Aug. 2, 1932 FRANCIS w. MCFARLAND, or MARTINEZ, onrrronnm FREIGHT CAR LooK Arm SEAL 7 Application filed March 10, 1930. Serial No. 434,588.

The invention is for a freight car look, and has special reference to the locking of freight cars in replacement of present sealing methods.

I The present system of locking freight cars by cutting or breaking the wire or metal strip.

The object of the present invention is to 10 provide a lock to replace the present seal, which can be opened with a key of standard use similar to the ordinary switch key, but only in cooperation with specially designed metal slugs, thereby preventing unauthorized ll persons'from gaining access to a locked car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock of universal application, and a cooperating slug of special construction and provided with identifying markings. 30 A further object of the invention is to lprovide an efficient lock which can not readily e tampered with, and which can be locked without the use of a slug or key, but which requires the use of both slug and key for unlocking.

Other objects of the invention willbecome apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the drawings and from the appended claims. 7

ID The invention consists primarily of a ratchet type of lock comprising two members attached respectively to the door and door frame or car body. One of the members comprises a mounting membenand a. pivotedspanning latch, with arcuately formed serrated peripheryadapted to engage a cooperating serrated pawl in the second member. The second member comprises a housing with a recess for admission of the arcuate end of the latch and for enclosure of the locking mechanism which consists of a serrated pawl pivoted in said housing, a spring to cause the pawl to engage the latch, a tumbler operated by a key, a recess or slot for admission of a slug and a chamber for reception of the slugs after operation of the lock, the chamber being locked by special locking means, the tumbler and pawl being so related that when a slug is inserted a key operating on the tumbler causes interposed coaction between the tumbler and pawl with the slug, the slug dropping into the chamber after releasing the pawl andcoincidently the latch. Similar reference characters are used; to

designate similar parts throughout the sev- 2 eral views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:' 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a freight car indicating my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line 22 ofFig.3; V i

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation takenon line 33 of Fig.2 i

Fig. 4 indicates an elevation and cross section respectively of a proposed slug;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the invention as applied to a car; J

Fig.6 is a fragmentary view of a car with a front elevation of my invention.

A box car Fig. 1 is provided withthe cus-' 7'0- tom'ary door 8 and jamb 9. A bracket 10 is bolted to the jamb or car side 9 through bolt holes 12 by means of bolts 13 and has an aperture 14 therethrough for reception of the latch 15 which is pivoted therein-by means of a bolt or rivet 16.

V The'latch'15is formed to U shape with one leg pivoted as at 16, the periphery of the opposite leg 22 being arcuately formed to a center at the pivot 16, and being provided with engaging teethil7. J I

A housing 18 is adapted to be attached to a car door 8 through holes .19 by means of bolts 20. The housing'18 is provided with integral front, rear, end and top walls, being. open at the bottom and. having part of one end wall removed as at 21 for reception of the latch 15. A pawl 23 is pivotally mounted at 24 between the front and back walls of housing 18 and is provided with cooperating ate with. the hollow key shank of a switch key. Projections 32 are provided in the slug slot 33, the slug slot being narrower than the enclosing recess for the operating mechanism and continuing downward between the pawl The slugs are preferably formed in the shape. of circular discs having grooves 43 adapted to cooperate with the projections 32 on entering the slot 33 and have identifying marks including the initials of the issuing railroad 44, the issuing station number 45 and a serial number 46. Other identifying marks could be supplied on the opposite side if desired. I

The operation of the invention is as follows. With the car door in closed position, the latch 15 is swung counterclockwise to; its

limit of travel, as indicated in Fig. 3,'the pawl 23 automatically engaging and retaining the latch. When it is desired to open the lock, is isfirst necessary to drop a slug in the slot 33, which rolls to the position indicated in 3 at 47. A key is inserted in the keyhole 42 and turned in a clockwise'direction, engaging the lower surface of tumbler- 27 and moving it about the pivot 28 and coincidently forcing the slug against and moving the pawl 23 in a counterclockwise direction releasing 'the latch 15 and permitting it to swingout of the housing 18. As the tumbler is swung back, the slug passes between pawl 23 and surface 48 of tumbler 27 and drops into the receptacle as indicated at 39. A special lock is provided for locking the door 36, keys being provided only to persons authorizedto remove and record the slugs.

" 'When a seal'is removed from a car, a record of the sealcan readily be omitted whereby 7 there is no'method of determining where'the car was opened. With the lock which is the subject of this application, the record is provided when the car is'opened.

Having described an operative method of I constructing and operating the device, it will be understood that variations in design, constructionand arrangement of parts which are 4 leg of which is pivotally related to said bracket attached to the side of a car, the other leg thereof having an arcuately formed periphery centralized at the pivot and provided with ratchet type engaging teeth, a cooperating lock into which said other leg is adapted to be inserted, an engaging pawl adapted to engage said latch teeth, and releasing mechanism for said latch consisting of a pivoted tumbler in spaced relation to said latch adapted to normally retain a'freely inserted slug in cooperative relation to said 7 latch and adapted to release said latch by combined oooperation of. a key and inserted slug, the slug 7 being released following release of said latch. 2. A look for car doors, a latch and a lock in cooperating relation, said ,latch compris-f ing a bracket with pivotally related U shaped latch member, one leg being pivoted to said.

bracket, the other leg being arcuately formed with said pivot as a center and having ratchet teeth formed on the periphery thereof, said' lock comprising a housing adapted'to receive said latch, a pawl adapted to engage said latch, a tumbler spacedly related to said pawl, a slot having selective projections, a slug adapted to pass through said slot and clear said projections, said slug being retained between said pawl and said tumbler whereby movement of said tumbler by means of a key is transmitted through said interposed slugto said pawl for disengaging said pawl from said latch, said slug thereuponv being d-eposited in a receptacle by gravitational fiuence.

3. In combination, a bracket, a U shaped latch having engaging teeth formed in an arcuately formed periphery of one leg, the

other leg being pivoted to said bracket,.a. housing, said one leg being insertable in said housing, a pivotally mounted resiliently urged engaging element adapted to cooperate with said one leg, a slug slot and passageway in said housing, a tumbler pivotally mounted in spaced relation to said engaging element and adapted to retain a slug deposited in said passageway in cooperative relation'to said engaging element, said tumbler being adapted for cooperation with a key for releasing said engaging element.

In testimony whereof have aflixed my FRANCIS w. MdFARLAND-L signature.

consistent with the spirit of the appended claims may be resorted to without detracting from the scope or advantages of the invention.

' I am aware that locks havebeen made for freight cars, therefore I do not claim such combination broadly, but I do claim: i

1. A look for freight cars comprising a bracket, a substantially U shapedlatch, one 

